Flurry of Flames Second Chance
by Kasumi-Youkai
Summary: Axel Has Been Brought Back to the World of the Living, But He is in an Entirely Different World Than he Remembers. There Might be Romance Later on, but I Have Not Decided. I Suck at Summaries, by the Way.
1. Prologue

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Prologue

In a haze of utter darkness his mind found a certain clarity that he never felt before. Feelings flooded into his mind one by one and he felt as if he were spiraling through a never ending torrent of warmth and cold. His eyelids stung as wetness began to trail down his face, but he refused to open his eyes and face the darkness he knew would consume him. His being had been depleted of energy; of course he was going to fade. Just like all the others. Yet, he just couldn't end up like them.

Was this what it felt like to cry? Why was he crying? The abundance of liquid behind his eyelids almost hurt as they pushed against their small barrier, trying to force their way down his cheek. He would not let his eyes open to see nothing but darkness. He felt weightless in his resolve, and distantly remembered the words of his best friend's counterpart, the final alley of his life. As the kind words drifted from his mind everything suddenly closed in on him. His head felt as if it were under the weight of a thousand burdens of different intents, and manipulations. He could feel everything that his nobody life had been through, but it was obscure and different than anything he remembered feeling before. Perhaps it was because it all hit him at once.

After time passed he almost felt immune to this pain in his head and merely felt him self floating again, watching the thoughts and memories run through his mind in a flurry of different colors. He became accustomed to the feelings, the pain and the minimal happy times he almost relived. Yet the feelings became sharper and more painful in different instances until he felt his forehead wrinkle with the weight of it. The agony almost became a living thing, snarling at him when he would not submit. But, after a while, it hissed and slipped back to where it came from. Still he floated, his mind not focused on anything but keeping his eyes closed from the darkness.

All at once the pain smashed him in the back of the head, stinging the back of his eyes and rolling them into his skull to try and cease the torture. Without realizing it his eyelids opened, tears bursting forth almost as if they were shot from his eyes as his back snapped into an arch. He thought he screamed, but the pain howled louder than he could match with his lungs. He became tired and soon the pain ceased, leaving his eyes open to stare at the nothingness of the darkness in front, behind, and all around him. Had his life really been that painful? He never noticed.

A relieving sense of tenderness suddenly wrapped around him as a sliver of light made itself known in the darkness. It curled itself into the wisps of darkness he hadn't realized were there before, thinking that it was just one big mass. The two elements almost seemed to play with each other, and he found himself wondering if this was really supposed to happen when he 'faded'. His eyes gazed upon the scene with a new found wonder, and, without knowing why, he gave a weak smile until his head dropped back and he passed out.

((A/N: Thank you for reading the prologue to my story about Axel's second chance. I know this first entry may have been a bit confusing, but I promise that future parts will be a little easier to read. I have quite a few done already because I started writing this a long time ago. I've been iffy about posting this because it integrates an original character of mine. I've never trusted original characters in the past because they often turn into Mary Sue's, but for some reason I just really wanted to do a fan fiction like this for Axel. I love him so much and it bugged the hell out of me that he died. Anyway, I was never going to post this for said reasons, but I've decided that if I get good reviews from people I will continue. Every day I will add a new part until I get up to where I have stopped and if people want me to continue I will. Also, I promise this is the longest Author's Note you will see. Thanks again for reading! Please Review!))


	2. Part 1

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 1

"H...o?" came a muffled voice from his left. "Hello? Huh? Oh, he moved," it stated with a slight gasp, and he felt something cold on his head.

His emerald eyes opened to an unfocused world of different blots of color coming slowly into focus. He could barely make out a human shape just in front of him, leaning over his form to give some sort of comfort. He felt the cold thing on his head move, only to be replaced again after the sound of trickling water preceded it. He imagined his eyes were off center because none of the blotted shapes connected quite right, and the face in front of him resembled two circles about to come together.

"Hey, can you speak?" Came the voice again, which he now discerned to belong to a girl.

When he deciphered the meaning of her words he opened his mouth only to feel a parched throat give a raspy breath in response. He made a face and tried to focus on the girl ahead of him that was taking a certain joy in his facial expressions.

"Do you want some water?"

He was about to say yes, but refrained lest he embarrass himself with another raspy breath. He nodded and closed his eyes. As the girl stood he felt a slight lift from underneath him, which led him to believe he was on a bed. How had he gotten there? When he opened his eyes again the objects lined up right, but some of the blur was still present when the girls face came back into his vision.

"Can you sit up?"

Try as he might the simple force of gravity, which he could tell was no different than what he was used to, would not let him move, and he shook his head. He felt her hand then sink into his red hair and behind his neck to lift him up. A simple plastic cup was held up to his lips and cold water flooded his mouth. The sensation was pleasing, more so than he ever remembered from before. It made his eyes close to better feel the wetness on his tongue and his throat. His throat felt almost like it was covered with sand. When he was able to feel his vocal chords function again he let him self take bigger gulps. Finally, when the water was removed after several moments of non-stop gulping he tried to speak again.

"Tha...nks," he rasped.

The girl giggled at his reaction.

"You're going to have to drink more if you want to talk right by the end of the day." He could pick up on the smiling curve of her lips.

When she lifted the cup to him again he didn't refuse, and again basked in the cold water that traveled down his throat. When he stopped she asked what his name was. It took him an odd amount of time to remember.

"Axel. My name is...Axel." He closed his eyes again, a deep groan coming from his throat, made from his exhaustion. His forehead was comforted once more by a cold towel lead by a gentle hand to just the right spot. "Got…it mem..orized?" His mind became cloudy again and he fell into a deep sleep.

((A/N: I promise things will get more interesting! Please review! ))


	3. Part 2

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 2

Natasha sat out in their living room awaiting her parent's arrival home. What was she going to say? She had brought home a complete stranger from outside the city walls, which was a place she wasn't supposed to visit anyway, and now she found that there was no way she would be able to turn him out before they arrived given his condition. The tall red head could barely move from the pillows on her bed! How could she make him, this Axel, leave?

Her thoughts ceased when she heard the latch on her door unlock and the high-pitched welcoming of her mother. She calmed herself before standing, smoothing out her simple red dress and light brown hair, and walked towards the kitchen door where her parents entered. She gave them both kisses on the cheeks and they talked about their days before she was finally asked about hers.

"So, Natasha," her father addressed her, "what did you do today? I bet it's interesting since it's one of your last days before lessons start again."

She stiffened slightly as they both turned their eyes on her. Their happy, smiling faces made her rethink telling them about Axel quite yet. They never went into her room anyway. What could it hurt if she got him out before school started?

"Nothing much really. Mostly just cleaning up here and there, and...uhh...waiting for you to come home." She smiled widely when she finished. Her parents rose their eyebrows and looked at each other, her mother's long, dark brown hair falling over her shoulders when she looked back at her daughter.

"Did you break something?"

Natasha sighed.

"No, mom, I didn't break anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, dad."

They looked at each other again, then looked back at her with little smiles on their faces. Her father pushed some of his semi-long, dirty blonde hair back behind his ear.

"Okay. We believe you for now," he said.

Natasha exhaled as discretely as she could, and a real yawn overtook her.

"Aw, honey. You need to go to sleep. You didn't need to wait up," her mother said as she gave her daughter a hug. "Do you need anything? Water? A snack?"

Natasha perked up at the mention of both.

"Both?" She asked hopefully, and her mother nodded in response.

After saying goodnight to her parents, and receiving a large glass of milk and some cookies, she rushed as fast as she could, without looking suspicious, up to her room. There she found Axel still sleeping with barely a snore from him under the dim light of her lamp. She could scarcely discern the blue diamonds under his eyes due to how low the light was. He was unmoved from the spot she had left him in hours earlier, and the only hint to him still being alive was the slight rise and fall of his chest from underneath his black cloak.

After setting the milk and cookies down on her beside table, next to her clock that read '1:34 AM', she sat herself in a chair to Axel's left to wait for him to wake up so he would eat the cookies she acquired from her mother. Natasha took a few sips of the milk to give herself something to do, and afterward took an interest in the red-head's clothing. She tucked her long, light-brown hair behind her ear as she leaned over him to examine the clothing closely.

It seemed simple in appearance, but the intricate weave of the fabric she could see under the light was criss-crossed like nothing she had seen before. The boy's lithe body was covered completely, save for his head, in black. The different style was obviously foreign to these parts, as well as the surrounding countries she visited. The cloak had a chain that connected the two sides of a hood together, as well as one long zipper down the front. When she squinted her eyes and leaned dangerously close to see something, she found the roman-numeral 'VIII' inscribed just under the chain.

"You know...you shouldn't get that...close to...someone you don't know."

Natasha jumped when she heard the raspy voice. She held a fist to her heart to calm her surprise when she saw his face smirking up at her.

"What were you looking at?" Axel's voice was slowly turning back to what she thought was normal, but it still sounded rough around the edges with dryness.

"At the number VIII on your cloak."

Without moving his head Axel lowered his eyes distastefully towards the cloak he wore, and then rolled them with a slight sigh, closing them afterward. She watched as he squirmed on the covers of her bed to lift himself onto his elbows only to fall back with an annoyed sigh.

"How did I get here?" He rasped as he looked around.

"I found you in the desert outside of our city walls. You were face down in the dirt and practically sizzling in the heat and that cloak." She pointed to his clothing for extra emphasis.

What she thought was a chuckle emitted from his throat.

"Gees. I have no idea how I got there," he said with disinterest.

A silence passed between them and she turned her head towards her window over the bedside table so she wasn't staring at Axel. How had he gotten there? His bright red hair was like nothing she had ever seen before, and the strange green of his eyes both intrigued her, and made her ask questions. Most of the people of her world, in fact everyone she had ever met personally, had deep, violet eyes. Her mother told her a long time ago when she had seen a picture of a princess in a storybook that only royalty had green eyes in this world, and that the only other color present was dark brown that was almost black. However, that did not explain his hair. Everyone she had even read about, or met, had the same mundane dark colors where the brightest was never beyond the tone of her father's dirty blonde hair. Axel's fire-red hair was the most exotic thing she had ever seen in her life.

Natasha's eyes traveled towards the milk and cookies on her beside table and her face colored when she realized she had completely forgotten about her guests hunger. She cleared her throat to make sure he was awake. He obviously got the picture when he cracked one of his green eyes open.

"Do you want these cookies and milk? My mother makes them herself."

He closed his eye and let out a raspy chuckle.

"The milk too?"

She let out a little laugh of her own and shook her head when he opened his eyes again.

"Can you get up any better than before, Axel?"

Axel responded by laboring to prop himself up on his elbows, and offered a crooked smile when he did so, only for his arms to give a little shake and fall from under him. She tried not to giggle, but his next comment made her laugh pretty hard.

"Well...this is going to suck once I have to go to the bathroom." He joined in her laughter as well, though not whole-heartedly.

She fed him the cookies, and he told her that the milk was even softer on his throat than water when she asked. He was rather quiet, only saying anything when she asked him how he felt or if he needed anything.

As time progressed to 2:00 AM Natasha started to feel the thrall of sleepiness take her over. Axel started to notice this and laid back on the pillows; he had scooted his way up into a sitting position to help her out a little bit. He was rather glad she was getting sleepy. It wasn't that he minded the company, but he was tired as well, and he really wanted to try and figure out what exactly happened to him when he faded away from Sora and Roxas. The sooner he regained his strength, the sooner he could find his answers.

"Well, my savior, I am getting tired. Do you think we could talk about yesterday later today?"

Natasha blinked as she figured out what he meant. It was, after all, the early morning hours.

"Sure. If you need me, I'll be over on the couch." She gave an amiable smile as she lugged herself up from the chair and made her way over to the couch after switching off the lamp. Axel stared after her and his eyebrows wrinkled together. Didn't girls her age have their own rooms? It hadn't occurred to him that she would give him her bed.

"What's your name?" He asked out of curiosity.

As she laid down on the couch she spoke.

"Natasha."

He pondered it for a second, nodding in the dark when he decided it fit her well.

"Goodnight, Natasha," he said with another nod and closed his eyes.

((A/N: Yay! The real introduction of my original character! I promise that I am really trying not to turn her into a Mary Sue, and I haven't decided yet if I should let there be romance later on between her and Axel. If a lot of the people who review think I should I think it might do the red-head good to have a little romance in his life. For now, I just want to build a close friendship. Something like what Riku and Kairi had.

A-Z-a-z-0-9SharpayCat: Roxas will be in here at some point, though it will only be in dreams and such. I'm going by the game, so Roxas and Sora will be one as well as Kairi and Naminé. And I'm afraid that I cannot put you in my story. I will be using my own characters for this. Actually, Natasha is going to be the only main character for this. She's there solely to help Axel along and, if reviewers wish me to do so in the future, perhaps love him in a very special way. ; I'm sorry for rambling.

Please Review!))


	4. Part 3

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 3

The next day when the young woman woke up she saw Axel looking up at the ceiling with his forehead wrinkled with thought. He seemed to be digging for answers that were barely eluding his reach, and every once in a while she saw him practically snarl at himself. When the tension was relieved from his forehead the wrinkles disappeared and he sighed.

"No use," he said hopelessly as he crossed his arms underneath his head.

When he didn't say anything for a while she cleared her throat.

"Good morning," she said groggily.

He looked at her, his lips slightly parted so she could barely see that he was gently chewing on his tongue.

"Morning," he replied and started to rise from the mattress. "Where's your bathroom? I've been holding for so long it's not even funny."

She cracked a smile as she pointed towards the door.

"It's the first door on the right."

He nodded as he lifted his legs over the left side of her bed and sat up, resting in that position to ready him self for standing. A low grunt escaped his throat when he finally made it up, and as he walked out of the room he cracked his neck.

When Natasha was sure she was alone she stood up from her couch and stretched. She took the chance she had alone to quietly close the door and change into a simple, dark blue shirt and tan pants before, as she ran her fingers through her hair that was still clean from yesterday, she realized that her parents could find Axel when he was outside of her room. Her heart jolted at the realization, and she bolted out of her room just in time to see both her father and Axel exiting the rooms they were in.

Thankfully, her father, not being a morning person, had his eyes directed towards the ground and moved sloth like to close her parent's bedroom door. She quietly made her way over to Axel and put a finger over her lips. He got the idea and kept his mouth shut, though he didn't quite understand why she couldn't tell him what was going on. Her eyes darted over to her father again who tried with all his tired might to rub sleep from his eyes with a slight grunt, and was just about to open them. Axel tried to follow her line of vision, but the millisecond he laid his eyes on him he was pushed roughly into the bathroom by Natasha who followed in after him and shut the door quick enough to make a noise.

Before he could ask anything she put a hand over his mouth, pushing him against a sink right behind him with the slight force she had, and stared at the bathroom door. The worried voice of her father came from the other side.

"Are you okay in there, Natasha?"

"Yes, daddy. I didn't realize I was pushing so hard. Sorry if I scared you," she said as convincingly as she could, as Axel raised a slender red eyebrow at her.

"Okay. As long as you're alright." His footsteps signaled his leave from the door.

Natasha lowered her hand and walked over to press her ear against the door to listen for any signs of her parents. As she did Axel leaned his lower back heavily on the sink trying not to show that he was slowly losing energy. When he steadied himself he cleared his throat for her to look at him. When her deep violet eyes turned to him he crossed his arms, and with a sly look he stated rather than asked, "Your family doesn't know I'm here? Naughty, naughty girl." He shook a finger at her without lifting one of his arms from the cross they made, and made little clicking noises with his tongue.

She colored slightly at his comment and looked down at the floor at his feet for a moment before looking up into his face.

"Well, you see, I wasn't supposed to be anywhere near where I found you, and you're a total stranger sleeping in my bedroom. I didn't want to have to deal with what they would think if I could avoid it."

He closed his eyes with a single chuckle, nodding his head with sarcasm. He regretted the movement when his head exploded with pain. Natasha saw a very obvious grimace on his face. His arms uncrossed and she ran forward to him to steady his form that was about to fall over. His body felt so heavy with fatigue that she almost dropped him, but managed to keep him at her height long enough to reach the door handle, and for him to regain balance. The question of what happened to him crossed her mind again.

They made their way quietly back to her room before her parents had a chance to see them and Axel was laid out on the bed again. She took the towel she had put on his head the night before and placed it on him, the water still cold because of the conditioning in her room.

"You weren't ready to walk on your own," she scolded. "Why did you?"

With slightly labored breathing he opened his eyes and gave a little chuckle.

"I didn't want you to feel like you had to help me go to the bathroom. I'd hate to put a girl through that." His words were sincere, but she felt a little guilty now.

Some time passed between them, and as his breathing began to even out she noticed he wasn't quite ready to go back to sleep yet. He was trying to keep his eyes open on his own and was obviously trying to figure something out. Natasha decided to try and relieve him from his thoughts.

"So where did you come from, Axel?"

His green eyes wondered tiredly over to her and centered on her almond shaped face. When she didn't take back the subject and merely stared back at him he sighed.

"Pretty far away from here I bet. I don't recognize a thing here." His eyes scanned the room to help show the truth of his words. "Where I came from it was usually rainy and all the buildings were tall and skinny."

She nodded as she absorbed the information. It did sound different just from his bleak explanation he gave since most every dwelling around here was short and fat, as well as wherever else she went.

"What did you used to do?"

He raised an eyebrow and gave her a sort of look that asked if she really wanted to know. He was actually just trying to buy time since he already knew she wouldn't relent. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

"I was part of this group called Organization XIII that researched different aspects of human feelings. It was some shady type of business, but nothing ever really got accomplished from what I remember. I think all of the other people are dead save for one idiot." He smiled as he remembered his young, blonde friend, but winced when Natasha gave a slight gasp. He could have omitted that part. He chuckled in spite of himself.

"Dead? What happened?" She asked.

Axel didn't quite know how to continue, and he let out an annoyed sigh as he wrinkled his eyebrows together.

"Well, we got into some competition with a few select people and they didn't think what we were doing was right." He growled inwardly at himself. "Listen, it's not really something I want to talk about. It doesn't really matter to me."

By the way he talked she could tell he meant what he said, but she still felt there was something he wasn't telling her. He almost seemed too uninterested in the deaths of his colleagues, but she figured it was none of her business.

"What happened to you?" She asked as she took the wet towel from his head to soak it in water again.

He seemed to be in a deep state of thought as he pondered how exactly he would answer her question.

"I uhhh...got knocked out protecting the idiot," he said instead of telling her he died. Besides, for all he knew now he had just been knocked out. The whole thing was puzzling beyond his imagination.

Briefly he remembered floating in swirling torrent of white and black, but as he thought of it his head began to hurt a little. That is, a little compared to what he remembered feeling in that place. Underneath the cool towel he began to sweat with the effort it took to keep himself from showing any pain. For some reason he felt like he shouldn't let Natasha know how he was feeling.

From downstairs they both heard her father's masculine voice calling up the stairs for Natasha. Axel could tell that she stiffened and as his mind was redirected the headache ceased.

"Yes, daddy?"

"Come down and let's go out to eat some lunch. Your mother is too lazy to even make some sandwiches!" Natasha heard him laugh as he and her mother started a playful fight. No doubt when she went down they would be kissing and other yucky stuff on the counter. She rolled her eyes.

"You have to go?" Axel asked from the bed. He didn't seem disappointed, but he didn't seem happy about it either. It crossed her mind that he might get hungry while they where gone.

"If you feel strong enough it might help you to walk around the house a little bit. You can eat basically anything on the three bottom shelves of the fridge. My parents don't pay too much attention to it since it's mostly snacks and open to anyone in the house. I promise to bring you home some real food today."

He nodded in response, feeling his fatigue heighten and make his eyelids heavy. Natasha picked up on it and smiled with a wave. He nodded again and she exited the room.

((A/N: Please tell me if I'm doing a bad job with the whole Mary Sue thing. I know it may not show up here quite yet, but I was reading a few of the upcoming parts and I'm just going to need a little reassurance. Also, I'll tell you right now that Axel is going to start being a little OOC, which is a shame because I like him the way he is so much ; , but I promise it's like that for a reason. He'll return to normal soon.))


	5. Part 4

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 4

Throughout her dinner, though what her parents talked about was kind of interesting, Natasha found her mind constantly wandering off to think about the red-head that inhabited her room at home. He was so mysterious and so intriguing that she wished for him to reveal everything he had ever been through. What he was hiding from her would probably be the thrill of her lifetime just to hear. She was lead to this conclusion simply by the way he tried to conceal it from her. But as she wanted to pry his thoughts and happenings out of him with a crowbar, she still worried about his health. Barely one day had passed since she found him face down in the rough sand of the familiar desert outside her native city. He had been parched and completely deprived of any nourishment, and yet he was already able to walk, albeit sickly, but still able to walk no less. Yet, even as he showed this astounding vigor, she still worried about his health, and whether or not he would still be alive when she returned with food for him.

Her parents observed her behavior throughout their meal and as their plates were collected and bags were given to her to carry the majority of her meal home they began to worry. As Natasha sealed the bag she was going to take home she looked up to find her parents weary eyes on her. She colored under the mere weight of their gazes and straightened her posture. She knew that look well enough, having to endure it for almost sixteen years, and knew they were about to ask her an 'important' question.

"Yes?"

The two adults looked at each other, silently asking who would approach the topic. It was silently decided that the female of the two would pull it off the best. Her father sat back in her chair and drank a steaming liquid from his mug still on the table as her mother leaned forward to talk to her.

"Are you feeling okay, dear? Are you happy?" she asked out of simple worry, which was visible by the three creases in her forehead.

"Of course. What gave you the idea that I wouldn't be?"

Her mother gave a slight sigh, some what relieved by her daughter's assurance, yet still unconvinced. She continued.

"Well, for one, you didn't touch your food, and second, you never take home anything you don't eat here. Usually you finish all of it anyway, or say 'it's not good unless it's fresh'. Is something making you uncomfortable? Ill at ease?"

Natasha had forgotten that it was her mother's habit to know everything about the ones she cared for. She herself had almost forgotten this was her favorite place to eat with all the wonderful smells and pretty colors. The food was never bad either, and there was no guilt as far as prices go, save for seafood, which also came pretty cheap considering their long distance from the oceans of the world. No wonder her mother knew something was bothering her. She stared back into her mother's eyes, identical to almost everyone she knew, yet softer and more caring. She said the first excuse that came to her mind.

"Stomach cramps," she whispered.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see her father crack a smile from behind his mug; she had purposefully said it just loud enough for her father's sensitive hearing to pick up. Her mother's eyes narrowed with sympathy and she pet her gently on the shoulder and leaned back to stretch.

"She's fine, dear," she saw her mother mouth to her father, who nodded approvingly in response, showing no sign that he, knew anything. Natasha felt lucky to have such caring parents who loved each other so much and her as well. Briefly she wondered if Axel had the same luck. Somehow she knew he probably didn't.

When the three of them finished any side conversation they wanted to attend to, Natasha attempted to move it along as covertly and quickly as she could so the food would not be cold for Axel when they walked home. They finally stood to exit. As they walked out she found happiness in knowing her parents were thrown off her trail, and that she could blame any strange behavior on mood swings of sorts. But the two elders shared a look of consolation for each other at knowing that was not the case; Natasha was never a good liar, only a good hider.

((A/N: Sorry Axel and long chapter fans. I'm somewhat bummed as well that Axel was not present here, but it was something I needed to put in here because her parents will be important a little later on. The next part has lots of Axel. Trust me, because I wrote it!

Neko Strawberri: Thank you so much! Flamers beware; I love roasted marshmallows :3 ))


	6. Part 5

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 5

When she left the room to follow her parents out for lunch Axel dozed for while, but strangely, considering the utter tiredness he felt, could not bring him self to find true sleep. Something was nagging him that didn't seem so much negative as it was annoying. When even his light rest ceased he grumbled to himself inarticulate words. He glared at the ceiling, but found it odd to do so. Never before had he glared at anything unless it stood in the way of his goal, and this ceiling had done nothing to him. What was he blaming it for? He shut his eyes, utterly baffled at himself and found that he suddenly didn't care about sleeping. Instead he busied his mind with questions about what he was going to do when he could leave this place without falling apart. There had to be someone who knew about traveling between worlds, or perhaps only a keyblade master could do it. Again he was annoyed.

As everything that crossed his mind annoyed him he found himself digging for things that wouldn't. Never had he been annoyed by anything but an enemy. This was a first for him. He lugged himself up from the bed; his eyes closed in the effort, and took in all the breath he could to support himself in making it up without having to rest in a sitting position. He was going to take Natasha's advice and walk around the house. Maybe it would help.

He made it up and exhaled a sigh of relief as his eyes opened. He looked around the room and realized his vision was completely clear. A satisfied smirk came over his face as he walked towards the door and grabbed the handle. As he walked out into the hall he observed the floor plan out of mere habit; he usually did so in case he'd end up fighting, and thus would have the upper hand by knowing the geography of the ground. The house was small, about double the width and length of a medium sized living room, but had two thin stories that almost obstructed him with his height. He remembered that Natasha's father had too bend over just slightly to make it out of his bedroom doorway. He supposed Natasha got her petite form from her mother. The top floor was basically the perimeter of the living room and didn't close over the bottom floor. It had railing all the way around and one side had no doors that lead to rooms. He assumed this was custom made by someone who either lived here or requested it because the whole house seemed like it would have made a good one story.

On the bottom floor on the side of the top floor that had no doors he could make out a counter that had two pillars on either side that no doubt held up the top floor and were custom made as well. It was a homely addition to the structure, which he now thought was not a home from its beginning, and was probably a kitchen. He assumed this because he could see a wooden block that held cutlery on the side of the counter he could see from upstairs. Because of the way there seemed to be no rooms over the kitchen he also assumed that there was just one big ledge on the outside above it. On the opposite side from the kitchen he saw one sturdy wall with a door that probably lead to a study or a type of guest room since both Natasha's room and her parent's room were upstairs. In the middle of the home there was a large living room that was open and airy, from what he could tell from leaning over the top floor's railing. There was one big couch in between a reclining chair and a love seat all with their backs to the kitchen all three resembled a semi-circle from the way they were all put together and in front of the couch was an oak table with different coasters, and, from what he could tell, a few decks of playing cards. He could almost see Natasha and her father playing them in this very familiar and homey atmosphere. Almost all the furniture were dark greens, blues, purples and blacks. There was no real brilliance in the colors, but it was radiant, to him, none-the-less.

He observed the area a little longer, walking about the perimeter of the upstairs railing to get a good look all the way around until he passed the stairs in front of Natasha's parents room twice. ((The perimeter resembled a rectangle, with two flights of stairs on either of the smaller sides. On the west side was her parent's room and the east was the wall with no doors. Both had stairs leading up to their sides. Natasha's room door faced north, and was on the south side of the house. On the north side, he observed upon looking inside of the door, was a closet full of things that weren't necessary for the outside.))

There were numerous pictures all over the walls, and after he got a feel for the shape of the structure he busied himself with looking at them. There were countless pictures of Natasha, he assumed, as a little girl no older than nine in most. On the inner sides of the picture frames there were usually stray pictures that were carefully inserted in the small slits of room between the glass and the wood of the frame. Not doubt there was lots of love in the family.

The reoccurring people in the pictures were mostly the three that lived here; Natasha, her father, and who he assumed to be her mother. They were all very pleasant looking, especially the mother who lacked the mischief that played in her husband's and daughter's eyes, but one thing the two females had in common was the definite sparkle of sharp intellect. He found himself smirking out of habit at them, and at the same time a feeling of jealousy encompassed him. To tell the truth he barely remembered his family from before he became a nobody. Usually they were his driving force that made him continue to help the rest of Organization XIII in their pursuit to find out how to obtain a heart. Yet, he remembered not really thinking of them much around the time Roxas joined the group as number XIII.

Roxas had made him feel like he was worth something, and that he didn't necessarily need to find a heart to be accepted. Perhaps Roxas knew that to be true and that in feeling like he had a heart the thirst for one diminished. Instead, when Roxas left with that realization and pursued Sora to reconnect with him, Axel devoted himself to finding him again, suddenly not caring about the rest of the Organization. He had realized what Roxas had done for him. Roxas made him feel like he had a heart. That was what he told Sora before he thought he was going to fade, right?

His mind traveled back to the pictures and as he gazed on a singular picture of Natasha he recognized that feeling he had around Roxas when they first got to know each other. Though it hasn't been long since he arrived here, he already felt a strong bond to his female savior. She already showed him a certain kindness and worry that almost rivaled his friendship with Roxas from the beginning. She asked him whether he was okay, if he needed things, offered him food, and even scolded him for doing something too hastily that could endanger his health further. Even around people who were just like him, the other Organization members, he never got so much as an, "Are you okay?" after a battle.

He glared at the cloak he wore and inwardly wished he had some regular clothing like Roxas and Naminé so he could disassociate himself like those two lovebirds. He snickered at the thought of them. His body slouched forward as he laughed and suddenly he heard something he was unaccustomed to on the inside of his head.

Something was making a shallow sound like that of a drum.

He stood stalk still. Where had he heard this before? It was so familiar and yet he never remembered ever hearing it coming from himself. He knew it was coming from him now, for as he concentrated he realized it got louder and he could almost feel it beating in his skull. As he heightened his senses he could feel it all over his body. Why was it so familiar? He found himself beginning to panic, but right as the feeling hit him he realized he never felt that, panic, before either. Then he felt fear, or was that really what it felt like? Was it what humans called excitement? He had learned many times how to fake emotions as a nobody, but around Roxas, and now, he wasn't in the presence of anyone who he needed to convince. This was genuine. He had a heart. He could feel the blood running through his veins and momentarily realized that he wanted to cut himself just so he could prove it. Just as he was about to call forth his Chakram he remembered that every time anyone bled they expressed pain. He had a feeling he wouldn't like pain, and decided he didn't want to inflict it on himself.

A genuine smile crossed his face, which was still crooked out of habit, with teeth and all bared. He had received the one thing he had been questing with Organization XIII for so long, and took a certain joy in the fact that they never got it for their selfish selves. Finally, after the long trial of being a nobody, he was human again.

His happiness, though it didn't not completely wear off, dimmed when he realized fatigue was taking his body again. He was thankful he didn't wander downstairs quite yet, even if Natasha said the living was the most comfortable room in the house. For some reason, he also felt like being in her room was calming to him. Probably because her presence was still manifested in there simply from her personal objects and scent. Even if it wasn't her that did it personally, he gave her partial credit for the presence of a heart. For the presence of his own, new heart. Who knows? If she hadn't been wandering in forbidden territory maybe he would have died before he knew he had a heart.

He wandered back to her room, rubbing his eyes as he went, and let himself fall back into her bed. Before he fell asleep be began to wonder why he was healing so fast. From the way he felt yesterday when he first woke up in Natasha's room, he decided that it wasn't like normal people to get better as quickly as he was. Maybe it was because his heart was new? All regular people were born with their hearts, and it wasn't like they were randomly replaced. Perhaps his was just stronger because it was new, and hadn't much strain on it because he hadn't used it for his entire seventeen and a half years of life. Maybe most of his fatigue was due to the tiring union of darkness and light to form his heart as well. He supposed it also had something to do with why babies slept so much. As his mind wandered he began to fall asleep to the rhythmic beating that coursed throughout his body until he was totally asleep.

((A/N: See, just like I promised there was a lot of Axel. This was also an experiment of mine with describing surroundings. Please tell me if I did okay in a review! ))


	7. Part 6

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 6

She walked through the door ahead of her parents so she could be sure Axel was not wandering about the house, and was pleased to look up and see her bedroom door closed, and no sign of his spiky red-head. She waited, slightly impatient, for her parents to come in and settle in the kitchen for something cold to drink. When her father was out walking in the heat he regretted ordering hot coffee, just like her mother said he would, but once his mind was set on something he never really quit unless something else caught his fancy. She told them she would be up in her room for a while gave them both hugs upon promising to come down later. ((Today was their last day off for her summer vacation. Even if they did want to be around her, she also knew they would like to spend at least a little time alone together since it was also the last day off they would have together for at least another month.))

Natasha had to keep her legs from running up the stairs to see Axel to make sure he was still alive. She took in a deep breath when she stopped outside of her door, her eyes closing as she did so, and opening when she finished. She pushed her door open, and, without glancing over at her bed, went in and pushed the door closed, a warm bag of food pressed to her teenage chest. Her eyes had to steady themselves on Axel for a while before they detected the very slight rise and fall of his chest, and when they noticed he was okay she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. As she walked closer, and set down the food on her beside table, the clock reading '1:38 PM', she could hear his light breaths evenly come when his chest moved. She pulled up her chair over again and sat next to him until the sound of his growling stomach caught her attention. She bit her lip slightly as she reached out a hand towards him, hovering over his chest until she worked up the nerve to gently shake him awake.

"Axel?" she asked in a lowered whisper.

How opened his eyes lazily, but didn't seem at all perturbed by her awakening. A lop-sided smile came over his face as his eyes closed and he stretched. A pleasant groan came from him as he did so and when he opened his eyes again they followed what his nose picked up as the trail of the smell of food.

"Is that for me?" he asked without resignation since he knew it was for him.

Natasha was surprised at how clear his voice was. She nodded in response and reached over for the bag to hand to him. Axel took it gratefully and offered his genuine thanks, making her pride in her self swell. He began to feed himself after he propped himself up into a sitting position. She could tell that he was still tired, but his need to fend off his hunger now outweighed his need for the healing affects of sleep. It made her smile to know that she had done a good job.

"What're your parents like?" he suddenly, to her surprise, asked her with a slightly full mouth. "You look a lot like your mother and your dad too."

Natasha smiled fondly; it was nice to know that she looked like the best two people in her world. She met Axel's awaiting eyes as he took another bite of his food.

"Well, my mother is very understanding, but is pretty strict when it comes to things like school and chores and rules and other stuff. My dad is too, so I guess it comes with the territory. Their both pretty fun to be around. It's almost like they never have anything to complain about, and are always ready to help with something. My mother buys a good amount of my clothes and things, which I guess is normal too, but I learned a long time ago that I'm going to have to get along on my own someday soon and started to try and pay for as much as I could on my own. They insist that I save up for later on, so I set some aside. My father tells me I grow up too fast."

She sounded like a little girl to him, or what he imagined one to sound like, when she talked about her parents. She made a very mature little girl though. She didn't seem the least bit selfish or spoiled, and idly he remembered that in some of the pictures they had, they didn't always look as well off as they do now. He remembered that in a few of the pictures she had tattered clothing and a dirty little, even more almond shaped face than she had now. Her parents were in much the same condition, but looked a little cleaner, which was probably for the sake of keeping a job. Anyhow, they seemed fine now, and that gave him enough mind to ask about it.

"What was it like when you were younger?" He felt almost like he was rebuilding his old life through her memories.

"We didn't have too much money to go around, I guess you guessed from the pictures, but I never really remember being unhappy. During that time my mother had a job at an item shop and my father was under a blacksmith in an apprenticeship. Neither job really paid well, especially my father's, but now my mother works in a hospital to help those injured in battle with creatures outside town, and regular diseases. After my father finished his apprenticeship we had enough money to live, and for my mother to become a cleric. Even then and now I don't remember a day passing when they didn't say kind words to me. They are both really good at what they do."

Axel smiled wistfully, wishing he could remember exactly what his childhood had been like, but really couldn't dig deep enough for it. He resolved to just forget about it. If his family hadn't even associated with him when he was in Organization XIII he assumed that they either didn't care for him anymore, or they were dead. He didn't want to know either outcome, and didn't really feel bad about it. He was starting over anyway. He decided that his new family would be any friends he made, and Sora and Roxas whenever he found them again.

He really wanted to see them again. Or maybe it was just a _him_ now if Roxas completed what he wanted to. That would be his first objective if he ever got out of this world. He would find Roxas and Sora so he could tell them, or him, that he had a heart. Maybe he could live where they, or he, was.

Then the thought of leaving his newest, and his quickest made, friend Natasha behind crossed his mind. She almost seemed indispensable to him now, more his head, and heart, than in reality. Maybe she could come too. His hopes sunk as he remembered that she had a life here.

He realized that he was done with his food and staring at the empty box. He felt the weight of her gaze on him and immediately picked up his cool attitude, brushing off his previous bad feelings, which he realized that they were also the first ones he ever truly felt.

"What? Something on my face?" he asked with sarcasm.

She smiled and shook her head.

"No. I was just wondering if you were going to fall asleep and drool in that box of yours. It would being interesting to see you washing your face with saliva in the morning." She giggled after she spoke.

Axel chuckled as well and placed the box back in the bag before a large yawn and a stretch made his eyes water. He scratched his neck as he cracked it and snuggled back down on the pillows.

"I know you won't let me move from here now, but maybe tomorrow you can sleep in your bed and I'll take the couch. It's only fair. I'm starting to feel pretty good as it is." He spoke convincingly, not that she doubted him. But the cockeyed smile he had on his face somehow convinced her further.

"Sounds good to me. Go ahead and rest." She looked at her clock that now read '3:06 PM'. "I'm going to go spend some time with my parents so they don't get suspicious."

Axel raised his tired eyes to her with a devilish smirk that made her breath catch.

"You bad, bad girl. Still hiding the boy in your room from your parents." He closed off the statement with a good natured chuckle and yet another smirk. Even he, one who had spent so much time without a heart, knew the significance this would have to a parent.

She giggled at him and waited until his eyes were closed to exit the room.

((A/N: I'm just going to remind you again to tell me if I'm doing okay as far as Natasha being a Mary Sue goes. Maybe I should just stop asking. Please review!

okiegirlforever: Thank you for the review and the compliment! And I know how you feel. I just LOVE Axel as well. ))


	8. Part 7

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 7

The next few days went by flawlessly. Axel meant what he said about trading sleeping places, and never once asked for the bed back. _The couch is comfortable anyway. Keep your stinkin' bed, Tasha_, he would say to her playfully, using her new nickname he gave her because _Natasha_ had too many syllables. To tell the truth, her bed was anything but stinky. For a couple nights his young, masculine scent was present and lulled her into a sweet sleep. When the strength of it faded from her bed, she noticed that it still hung in the air about as normal as hers. She considered him her new best friend now, and felt just as comfortable, if not more, with him as with anyone she had known all her life.

During the long day when her parents were off to work they would go downstairs and play cards, and eat some of the snacks that were in the fridge, which her parents quietly noticed were depleting faster than usual. Sometimes Axel would get tired and she would let him sleep on the couch ((Whenever he did he found himself agreeing with what she said about the living room being the most comfortable room in the house.)) while she did some of the chores she was assigned. ((She usually had enough time when he fell asleep, and if there wasn't there was only a little left to do and he would allow her to continue until she found him awake on her own, watching her quietly and adoringly.)) Then when he woke up again they would be daring enough to go out in their tiny back yard, with a small wooden fence, and eat sea-salt ice cream, the significance of which to him Axel kept quiet.

As time wore on the times Axel got tired slowly disappeared and he even helped Natasha with the chores, covertly showing his thanks to her parents with his kindness. Slowly the day both of them refused to bring up was approaching. The day when Axel would have to leave. It was made even more evident to Natasha when her parents were starting to suspect a little more than just a few period cramps were making her eating disorder.

Still, both of them tried to make their life as happy as possible before the time would come that he had to leave.

((A/N: Sorry that was so short, guys. I hope you aren't too angry with me. I'll try not to do this often, but little scenes are sometimes important, as some of you may know. Please review!

SappireLight: That you so much for the reassurance.

InTheDarkWithRiku: I promise I will!

TeleIce: Arigatou for the review! It was very encouraging. And in my Japanese class, which I haven't been to in over two months because of summer, I think I learned that was spelled 'jamashita'. I'm just passing along information, though I could be wrong. I'll have to go look through my notes.

PS:::glomps Xigbar:ninja: ))


	9. Part 8

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 8

One morning when Axel woke up it was still dark outside, when he looked at the clock it read '4:30 AM', and somehow he new that today he needed to leave. It pained him enough to keep him from falling back asleep, but he just couldn't chase it from his mind. He finally decided to take a shower, which he had only done twice when he was here when Natasha's parents were gone, but since they usually weren't up until around 7:00 AM he figured it was okay. He lugged himself up from the couch without any real restraint, refusing to open his eyes. He hopped up and down a couple times before rubbing an invisible layer of dirt from his face, and finally opening his eyes just wide enough to look around. His mouth was set into a frown-like shape that was only the product of his tired disposition, otherwise just the thought of leaving brought him down.

He walked over to Natasha's bed and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"Tasha?"

She woke easily and made a little noise to show him she was listening. He still whispered close to her ear.

"I'm going to take a shower. Just wanted to make sure you wouldn't think I was gone yet. I promise I'll say good-bye before leaving."

She didn't look thrilled when she heard he was leaving. He saw the corners of her lips visibly drop, but she either didn't want to make him feel bad, didn't care, or was just too tired to do anything about it. He didn't know which one he preferred. Natasha finally nodded and relaxed again, her back now facing him more fully than before. He gave her a smile of adoration and then made his way over to the door.

Quietly Axel opened it and peeked out to make sure no one was outside. He blinked his green eyes for almost a full minute to make sure his vision wasn't blurry or tricking him into thinking someone wasn't there that was. When he convinced himself everything was okay he quietly walked out of the bedroom, pulling the door shut behind him, and walked carefully over to the bathroom. He pushed the door shut behind him when he entered, and breathed a sigh of relief. He then went about the regular routine of taking a shower. Making sure he had a towel that his clothes, since they were the only ones he had, were out of reach of any stray water when he took them off, actually turning on the water, and finally getting in.

The water was cool to his bare skin, which was, oddly enough, still tan like his face and neck even when it was usually unexposed to the sun. He supposed it was a perk from his ethnic background not to have a farmer's tan.

He about jumped out of that very skin when there was a knock on the bathroom door. It took everything in him to keep from yelping like an idiot. He listened for a while to see if it might have been Natasha just needing to use the bathroom, but soon the deep sound of her father's voice met his ears.

"Why are you taking a bath so early, girl?" he asked with tiredness edged in his voice.

Axel couldn't afford to answer, and hoped he would think he was Natasha and that she just couldn't hear him. His prayers were answered when the elder conveyed that he guessed she just couldn't hear him.

The elder walked away from the bathroom door, and, before deciding to go back to his room, went to go take a peek in his daughter's room. Maybe there was an answer to her behavior somewhere in there. He promised himself he wouldn't snoop or jump to conclusions. Natasha was a smart girl; she wouldn't do anything too stupid.

He gently pushed the door open, which was surprisingly loose from its frame. When he peeked in everything looked normal. It wasn't squeaky clean, but not terribly messy either. The couch was bare and there was just a pile of sheets on the bed Natasha no doubt used for comfort to hold on to. He didn't expect her to use blankets in this heat of summer anyway. He smiled and started to close the door when it occurred to him. Sheets didn't have feet. His heart jolted and he looked more closely inside. It was Natasha, comfortably laying on her side in her full-sized bed. If that was her, then who was in the shower? It definitely wasn't his two sweethearts, because he installed their own bathroom in the master room himself. His wife always used that shower, and Natasha was here.

Fury began to fill his features, and his eyes, should anyone have seen them, were aflame with a sense of territoriality. Who was in _his_ house. He turned and glared at the bathroom door, about to walk over and knock it down with his very, very strong fist. Just as it was raised in the air his senses suddenly came to him. He again walked back to Natasha's room, needing to know something. He pushed the door open wide enough to let him pass. With the fury still making his features rigid, he sniffed around in the room. He indeed smelled something different from his daughter's sweet scent, but there was nothing incriminating about the other. With a slight sneer towards the source of most of the scent he left, deciding to wait until there was a threat or for when Natasha told him what happened. He returned to his room, waiting with the door slightly cracked so he could see his secret inhabitant.

In the five days Axel had spent here he had never been so scared, but the feel of his heart beating so fast when he felt okay again was so exhilarating that a wide smile crossed his face as he rubbed away goose bumps. He kept the water on a little longer to keep the cold feeling flowing through the bathroom. He, now like the rest of the inhabitants of this city, appreciated the cold water because of their heated climate. But he soon turned it off.

After getting dressed and running his fingers through his wet hair, which looked odd to him when it was straight because it was wet, to make it spike again. He cautiously walked out of the bathroom and back to Natasha's room.

The young woman's father's eyes narrowed when he saw the tall red-head in the black cloak exit the bathroom and enter his precious daughter's room. It took a while for him to realize in his anger that that tall boy was actually red-headed, which meant he was probably not from anywhere close to here. Perhaps it was true that there were different worlds besides their desert planet. It put him in a small state of shock, until he remembered how old the red-head looked. He couldn't have been much more than two or three years older than his daughter, but his mind told him, again, that Natasha had proven she wasn't stupid many times before.

With one final sneer in the room's general direction he shut the door and made his way back to his bed that he shared with his wife. The woman stirred when he entered, and moved over to him to embrace him where he lay. She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment and spoke tiredly.

"What were you doing, honey? Feeling okay?" He smiled at her habit of always asking two questions at once, her voice soothing him enough to make him sigh.

"I was just checking on the baby."

He could practically feel her smile, but at the same time the presence of the foreigner to their world bothered him. As a man, he wanted to befriend or expel him from their presence. As a father and a husband he didn't know what to do.

((A/N: And now we get our first itty-bitty peak of action! There is a reason why I labeled this Action/Adventure. There will definitely be some more in the future. And even better than that, Axel was taking a SHOWER:::Squeals: Ahem…sorry about that. ; Don't forget all the same old stuff, and please review!

TeleIce: Yes…period cramps are the worst. I'm glad I'll be seeing more of you!

SappireLight: No, it hasn't been said where she lives yet, but I just want to warn everyone in advance that when you find out where she lives, though it may be very interesting, it won't become a centralized part of the main story! It WILL sound somewhat important, and perhaps it will become more important if I change around future ideas, but I don't want it to take away from the main focus of this story, which is Axel in all his smexy fieriness! I'll stop rambling now. O.o

Mooncry: Thank you! ))


	10. Part 9

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 9

Axel had tried to get a little more sleep, but only succeed in getting a little doze in here or there before it was time for Natasha to wake up at around 11:00 AM. He had listened for a small amount of the time to her parents, though all of it was muffled, getting ready and eating a small breakfast downstairs. For the most part everything seemed normal, besides the fact that her father's voice seemed deeper and more intimidating than usual. Usually the man had a cheerful disposition with a crude sort of humor that, since it was probably in use from the time he was a teenager, was fine tuned to where it was equally humorous and acceptable to both adults and adolescents. Today he didn't seem to joke much, but Axel brushed it off as a mere bad night of sleep or something like that. He didn't even take into account that it could have been what happened this morning.

When her parents left and the house was quiet he focused on exactly how he was going to say goodbye and leave this place. Leaving Natasha would be the first big step, but the most difficult, emotions set aside anyway, task would be finding someone who knew how he could leave this world. He couldn't even begin to imagine where to start, and with a quick mind he gave up trying for now.

Natasha finally opened her eyes and turned over on her back. His eyes cleared of sleep almost as if she wiped it from his eyes her self. When she looked over at him she stretched. The thin sheets that covered her were playfully thrown off after she looked at the clock and she realized her parents wouldn't be home. She hopped up and watched him expectantly until one of his thin, red eyebrows rose. She rolled her deep, purple eyes and plopped back down on her bed.

"What? Do you feel lazy today?" she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

He shook his head and spoke rather clearly, his deep, still-young voice reverberating through the quiet room.

"Not really. Why?"

"Because you're not getting up. Usually we'd be downstairs already."

He rolled his green eyes playfully.

"What's your point? Maybe Axel doesn't want to go downstairs today."

She stuck out her little tongue at him, which he returned with a vengeance.

"Okay! Fine, Axel. What do you want to do?" she uncrossed her arms and went over to sit on the floor in front of him.

He looked her up and down once, seeing no real change in her regular appearance than when he first came here. Wasn't she supposed to have changed? Wasn't this the part of the story where he was supposed to look on this person he considered his life-long friend and find all the ways they had grown together? He'd heard something like that in some unimportant book of his past. He realized that even though he felt as strongly for Natasha as the person in that book had felt for their friend they hadn't spent nearly as much time together. It was like five years had passed in the span of the five days he spent under her roof. To someone as inexperienced as he before this event it hardly seemed possible. Yet here he was trying to find a way to express that he had to go without actually saying it like earlier when she was half asleep; doing it twice seemed unfair for her.

But, in the end, he realized, they had to face the truth.

"You have to leave today, don't you?"

He just didn't expect her to be the one to bring it up.

He stared at her for a moment to register what exactly she said and found that his mouth wouldn't move in response to his commands. He glared at nothing in particular then spoke after a few awkward moments.

"Yeah, Tasha. Do you have to sound so sad?" he said in a mocking tone without realizing he was doing it so she might shake it off.

Her face reddened and she straightened her posture.

"Well, I'm going to miss you when you leave." They both gave each other comforting smiles, his still lop-sided like usual.

They talked about a few different things, yet each topic that would have been awkward around people who weren't comfortable with one another flowed out rather easily. The things they had done, the close calls they came to whenever her parents came close to finding him((He told her about the bathroom incident that morning.)), the times he scared her by being awake without her knowing, the ice cream, that certain card game, all of them were mentioned fondly. It all completed their time together, and now that it was coming to an end they found it hard to figure out what else could happen. When the topics wandered to different things something occurred to Natasha. She still didn't know where he was from.

"Hey, Axel?"

"Hey, what?"

"Where exactly did you come from? Absolutely no one I've ever heard of has had red hair and green eyes, and their some of the most defining features of you. Do you come from another continent?"

Axel was about to answer the affirmative, but found that he could not bring himself to lie to someone he now held so dear. There was no alternate way around it, so from where he had come down on the floor to sit next to her, he got up and took a seat on the edge of her bed, the veins near his temples revealing themselves as he built up the nerve to tell her. Natasha watched this new facial expression of his, in which fear mingled with the need to say something, and then went up to sit next to him, putting a hand on his arm for comfort in hopes it would be enough to calm his senses.

"No, I'm not from another continent. I'm from another world."

She breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing those words and gave a little giggle in response. The thought that he was just trying to lighten the mood made her feel a little but more comfortable. Then he looked at her, his green eyes confused and wondering. She stopped when she realized he wasn't kidding.

"Really?" she asked, hoping to god that he wasn't insane.

"Really, Tasha. You know I wouldn't lie to you." He overlapped her hand with his and gave it a gentle squeeze before letting it go. "Organization XIII, that group I was a part of, lived in a world where everything was dark with the exception of the castle we all lived in. All the buildings, except for the castle, were black and tall and skinny like I said before. The castle rooms were all white and we were usually comfortable with each other since we were all suffering from the same fate of having no real feelings. For anything except for our studying I mean." He was purposefully omitting the part about the nobodies, and him being one. As long as he didn't lie he didn't mind hiding something from her that might make her see him in a different light. "Everything was always mundane and old. Really annoying too, and recently I just found myself not caring about the works of the group itself and instead went out to try and find the rouge of our group. That idiot I told I fainted protecting? That was him.

"Anyway, I didn't really think I was fainting. I felt this annoying tiredness and swore that I was dying, but I suppose that was really all I did. Where you said I was seems totally opposite from where I remember being when I collapsed. I was in this place called 'Betwixt and Between', which is a sort of gateway to the world. Pretty weird considering it's totally made up of different colors and didn't really have a ground." He chuckled to himself out of embarrassment. "I don't mind if you don't believe me."

Natasha was still gripping his arm when he finished. Everything he said seemed pretty believable except for the part about being from another world and the weird gateway full of colors with no ground, yet, even though the explanation was bleak and choppy, even that settled okay with her. As he said, she knew he wouldn't lie to her. She felt the arm she was gripping move away from her to the small of her back to rub in little circles. Axel wasn't sure if it was a comforting gesture until she leaned on his shoulder.

"So how are you going to get home, or somewhere familiar if not there?" she asked him with a slightly worried tone.

His hand that wasn't holding her gripped his chin in thought.

"I was thinking that someone around here may know how to get around between worlds, but I have no idea who to begin with."

Natasha had never heard anything about the topic from commoners like herself. There had been a rumor a while back, it occurred to her now, about the continent to the northwest of hers knowing something about traveling through space. But the rumor had long since disappeared when their very kind king put a stop to the thought of there being other worlds to find. She never thought their king would lie to them, but with this new, living, piece of evidence she figured that it might have just been some sort of political ruse now. She expressed this idea to Axel and received a wide, toothy smirk from him that quickly diminished when he saw the sad look on her face.

He directed his green eyes to the floor, trying to find some sort of way to convince her everything would be alright without him, and, possibly, a way to convince himself of the very same. A brilliant idea struck him and he turned his body around to face her.

"Hey, listen, Tasha. When you get older I'll come back for you. Then, if you're bored with this easy life of yours, you can come with me and build a whole new one in a place you would like."

The thought of that made her heart swell. She had always loved foreign things from different continents and such, but the thought of something from an entirely different world amazed and excited her. Yet, even at her teenage level of life, she knew that there was a good chance he would never come back, or that she would miss her family if she did so happen to go. Instead of telling him this, she just nodded with the same look of happiness on her face. He bought it and gave her a quick hug before the solemnity of the moment brought him back to his mind and made him, yet again, wonder how he was going to leave here now. He figured it was best to just get it over with now that he promised to come back.

"When do you think I should leave?"

The happy look on her face dropped somewhat and she looked at her clock.

"Well, perhaps you should stay one more day and leave tonight. My father's shop isn't too far from the main gate and I would have to guide you there because the streets are busy and confusing to a new comer. At night they aren't as busy either so we wouldn't lose each other."

He reflected on the intelligence of her words, and sighed inwardly because the longer he stayed, the harder leaving would actually be. He shrugged and smiled to her, his hands landing on his upper legs so he could help himself up. They spent the rest of the day in a cheerful disposition, going about the same routine as the days prior, until nighttime finally fell.

((A/N: I guess this is kind of a cliff hanger, but rest assured that I will update tomorrow.

Okiegirlforever: Thank you for being excited!

Mooncry: I'll look into it very soon. I'm a little busy preparing for school right now, which makes me glad that a bunch of these parts were already written.

Vampiremist: Thank you very much. Hopefully I feel like continuing on when I reach the end of what I've written already.

Eilinora: Ouch, my first semi-flame. Allow me to withdraw into my indestructible turtle shell. ;-; My self-esteem has just dropped.

InTheDarkWithRiku: At least you took the time to review now! I promise there will be more action later on. Think of this as the 1-6 days you had to spend with Roxas in Twighlight Town and the few days you spent with Sora on the Destiny Islands. After I get these out of the way there will be action. Notice the label for genre.

ShadowShapeshifterAndHerCat: Also refer the response to InTheDarkWithRiku's review. It's for much the same reason as that. Tomorrow I will be posting three, if I remember correctly, parts because they are real shorties and then after that…well I think you will be happy.))


	11. Part 10

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 10

When Natasha heard her father start to unlatch the lock on their door she was already getting Axel to go upstairs, who was playfully refusing her from the middle of the stairs until he heard the same sound of the unlatching door. He gave her a cocky smirk and stealthily made it to her room just in time to shut the door. The young lady took a deep breath and acted like she was walking to the kitchen to get something to eat when her father came in. They looked at each other, and when they did the smile was struck from her face when she realized her father didn't seem to be in the happy mood he usually was. Her father looked away from her when the look of worry crossed her face, trying to conceal it now that he was in her presence. It seemed almost like it was too late when he heard the fridge door, which she had just opened when he got there, close, and felt her hand on his back.

"Daddy? Is something wrong? Is it work?"

A slight smile crossed his face as he sighed. She was turning into her mother right before his ears.

"No, it wasn't work. It's nothing to worry about." He met her eyes with a convincing smile. She didn't buy it for a second and gave him a knowing smile in return.

"C'mon, dad. If you don't tell me mom is going to know something is wrong with you. You know she hates worrying about us." She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

As the older woman's husband and closest companion ever he knew that was true. Maybe he could stop this whole matter here. He promised himself that he wouldn't pry too much. He cleared his throat and looked her square in the eye, stalling only for a moment to figure out something to say.

"I have this bad feeling that someone I love is hiding _something_ from me. I wish she would tell me what that _something_ was so I wouldn't have to find out for myself." It was too bad he already knew what that something was.

His daughter visibly stiffened, yet to an untrained, daughter watching eye it would have been imperceptible. He saw the gears quickly working in her head as he crossed his arms to hear her answer. She wasn't going to tell him.

"I have no idea what mother would hide from you." The simple fact that she said 'mother' instead of 'mom' or 'mommy' told him she was lying, that is, if he needed further convincing. She was trying to sound too smart for herself. "What would she ever hide from you?"

He sighed. If this continued he would decide to reveal the boy upstairs tomorrow. He _hated_ being lied to, and it didn't help that it was his own flesh and blood doing the lying. He sighed.

"It's fine then. Probably just my imagination. Go up to your room so I can calm myself down. You're so cute you muck up my senses." He gave her a playful shove towards the stairs, which was returned with a heartfelt hug. At least he knew she still loved him.

As she walked along the upstairs ledges and into her room he glared at the door way when he saw the back of that spiky, red-headed ass for a mere second.

((A/N: Oh my! I cursed! ; Sorry about another shorty, but I think it was well placed. Don't forget to review. I really want to know if I should continue! Also, there's a couple more shorties that I have decided to upload simply because…well, they are short, but also because I want to move it along a little. Also, I'm getting close to where I stopped writing when I realized I might be doing a bad job. Soon these updates may either start to spread out as far as time goes, or there might even be no change. It kind of depends on my free time, my friends, and school work. Please, if you haven't reviewed and you really want me to continue, please consider telling me so in a review. If I'm doing this for nothing I'm perfectly content with just sharing this work with myself.

Also, I'm very sorry for not updating on schedule, but I had quite a bit of drama going on with the half of my family I don't associate with much. It's a long story, so I won't bother telling you. Either way, the only thing that really matters is that it kept me from updating, which doesn't take really long so it's somewhat aggravating. It's 1:30 AM on the 10th of August, so I will not be putting up the next installment until the 11th. This may seem confusing, but since I promised to upload three shorties this means that part 14 will no be up today, but the others will. …Does anyone really care? I think I'm saying this more to sort out my own head. :giggles:

InTheDarkWithRiku: Thank you for telling me, though I definitely understand that real life happens, as much as I wish it didn't.))


	12. Part 11

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 11

When Axel closed the door behind Natasha he took notice of her rigid countenance. She was slightly upset about something. The smirking corners of his lips turned down when she sat down to bite her nails on the side of her bed, next to her clock that read '7:38 PM'. He glided over and crossed his arms in front of her.

"What's wrong, Tasha?" he asked with a fake pouting lip. She barely gave him a second look before returning to biting her nails.

"I think my father knows. I hate hiding things from them like this for too long."

He uncrossed his arms and was about to say something comforting, but he figured it wasn't his place. Instead he placed his hands on his narrow hips with a sigh and a shake of his head. His hand went forward and playfully knocked her hand away from her mouth, shaking a finger at her afterward.

"That's a very bad habit."

Natasha gave him a weak smile and threw herself back on her bed. Axel instinctively took a seat at her left side, his rear cushioned by the softness of the mattress and sheets. He looked at her over his shoulder with hopeful eyes.

"You don't regret any of this, do you?" it sounded better in his head than when he expressed it in words. He hoped it didn't sound nearly as dumb to her. She looked at him with an apologetic expression.

"Of course I don't regret it. I've had more fun with you in these five days than in the entirety of my vacation without you."

Axel smirked to her and went back to looking out the window. These fond memories would surely help him remember to come back for her later.

((A/N: Here's the next shorty! ; ))


	13. Part 12

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 12

When his wife walked through the door he was leaning over a cutting board with three different food sources waiting to be cut laid around it. She raised an eyebrow at him as she set a bag down next to the door. The way he stared at the cutting board made her think he was imagining cutting something other than food. She hoped it wasn't the cutting board itself; they couldn't afford to lose another one.

"Expecting the food to cut itself, sweetie? Didn't they stop doing that last year?" She leaned over the counter sideways and in front of him to plant a little kiss on his lips. He was distracted from his thoughts just long enough for her to secretly drag him away from the small counter, and not necessarily to his dislike.

He managed to give her a small smile before his ill thoughts took over his mind again. She let her lower lip stick out in a very convincing pout.

"What's wrong? What's bothering you?" she asked, now truly worried since the little actions that always worked didn't get through to him this time. He let out a sigh before he spoke.

"I'm not quite sure if it's anything to worry about yet, but I believe that you do not need to hear about it until I know." He didn't meet her gaze and instead focused on something invisible outside the kitchen window. She frowned, now having an idea of what he meant.

"It's about Natasha, isn't it? You know what's wrong?" Her husband couldn't help but nod when her tone darkened so much. "Then please, please tell me. We've both been worrying about her eating and attitude. For the past two nights she's been avoiding us. Please tell me if you know what's wrong. Do you? Is she okay?"

The man almost crumbled under his wife's mournful tone, but knew no good could come out of telling her quite yet. Some things needed to be kept quiet for the sake of both their sanities.

"Look, baby, I know it seems unfair, but you have to understand that if I knew it was a threat I would have done something, but even though I don't like it one bit we both need to realize that Natasha is a smart girl. Remember how we used to be with our parents? We never did anything too bad, and always hated their incriminating actions to everything."

She raised an eyebrow as he waited for a response.

"Is it a boy? Does he look dangerous?" The correct answer, for him anyway, was yes to both questions.

"No to both," he lied for the first time in many years besides when he was covering for a big and wonderful surprise. His wife seemed convinced and finally offered him a pretty smile.

"Okay. I promise not to bring it up until you think it's time. She's half you anyway; you know her rather well."

_That's what I'm afraid of_, he thought, hoping the good side of his wife would triumph in his daughter's upbringing. _Please be a smart girl. _

((A/N: And that's the last shorty for now. The next part is extra long, just so you know. It's also the last one that I have pre written. I think I will start writing the next one now since I now kind of want to continue. Still, if people start thinking I suck please tell me. :giggles:))


	14. Part 13

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 13

At around 11:00 PM both Axel and Natasha stuck their heads outside of her bedroom door to see if anyone was coming. They both heard the snoring of her parents and nodded to each other that it was okay to go. Quietly they walked to the side of the house opposite of her parent's room and hopped down the stairs as quietly as possible. They grabbed two ice-cream bars from the freezer and headed out the kitchen door. They both winced when the automatic lock on the door made a noise. In their heads it was a thousand times amplified, but when nothing happened for several moments they decided it was okay to go, breathing a sigh of relief as they exited the tiny front yard. Axel looked over at Natasha and caught her eyes before speaking over the top of his popsicle.

"How far away is the entrance thing?" She finished taking a lick of her ice cream before she answered.

"A good distance, which is one reason why I'm not allowed to go there. It'll take about 40 minutes to make it there if we keep up this pace." She really wanted to walk slowly.

Axel went back to staring ahead. No real words were passed between them besides his comments on different buildings. From what he could tell they wouldn't even travel a tenth of the city to get to the entrance. It amazed him that the entirety of the city only had one way out and was all encased in one square wall. Even as he remarked on all this though, Natasha refused to say much, and they made it to the entrance after what seemed like hours to Axel.

They stopped in front of the large gate that had one small one for the city to use as single passage, he assumed. It was open and quietly swinging on the hinges. It seemed odd to him.

"Why is there such a big wall if anything that wanted to get in could easily knock this sucker down? Seems like someone's over-compensating for something." He snickered.

Natasha gave a little smile and shook her head.

"The gate itself is protected by powerful magic."

"Wait...your city has magic users? I didn't think you would because of the slightly larger than normal technology of this world." In his head he remembered that, even though they had things like refrigerators and microwaves, they didn't have TVs or automobiles. She tried to ignore his mention of other worlds; she felt that if she accepted it that he would actually have to leave, even if it was evident that he was going to now.

"I guess it slipped my mind. Actually, an associate to one of my earlier ancestors, I think my great-great-great grandfather on my mother's side, was the one who cast it. They were both pretty good with magic, but the associate to my ancestor hated the competition and knocked my family down to the extreme poverty level through sly acts he preformed with the friends he made with the higher ups. Only my mother, with the much needed help of my father, broke the chain of people in our family to be poor. I think they are planning to send me off to training soon. Someone they trust told them I had a stronger _gift_ with magic than even my great-whatever grandfather did." He could tell she was telling the story to make him stay longer, and decided that it was just fine with him. "I think I would really like to learn how to use my magic, but I also think the lady was just joking. I hate it when people do that."

He nodded and hoped she would continue, but the fifteen-year-old was finished with her tale and stood idly by for him to initiate the goodbye. Just as he was about to reach out his arms for a hug that he had hoped would comfort the despairing girl something almost literally tugged on the edges of his brain and made him scream out in pain. Natasha's head snapped up to see Axel crumbling to his knees in front of her. Her heart began to beat fast and hard enough for her to hear in her head as she watched him delve his fingers into his red spikes to clutch his head.

Axel knew what was causing this and tried desperately to pull himself out of it. He could feel their presence all around him and closing in silently and slowly. Through his pain he was finally able to look up and see Natasha unsurely attempting to calm him and soothe his head with kind words; he wished he could hear them. Slowly he took control of the pain and only a few tears squeezed out of his eyes as he stood up. He remembered that Natasha was not used to things like this and decided to divert her from the situation for a moment. He spat out the first thing that came to his mind.

"Is where you found me far from here?"

She was tempted to ask him other questions, but thought it best to comply with him first.

"No. It was actually just outside. Why?"

"Because there should be two disc-like things there. Please, go get them for me."

She was afraid to ask what they were for, and instead darted out of the gate and to the right side of the entrance. When Natasha was gone Axel reached his hands out to the side, fire engulfing them until his two Chakram were in his hands. He hoped she wouldn't be mad about him lying her, though he didn't think it would matter afterwards. Axel turned to face the first of the dusks that were making their sneaky way towards him. A smirk crossed his face when they began to realize he knew they were there and came faster.

What Natasha saw when she returned was the strangest thing she ever remembered seeing in her life. Silver, very flexible beings were jumping, twirling and twisting their way around Axel, who was expertly fending them off with two strange weapons. They were odd beings with a symbol that was identical to all the rest imprinted on their silver skin. She couldn't see any sign of eyes or a nose, and it almost seemed like their mouths were made of zippers. It took her a moment to remember that she had not found what he had asked her for. She yelled out to him, "I couldn't find anything!"

He looked back at her just as he slugged another creature out of the way after throwing his two weapons into the air. Fire balls rained down on the creatures and they began disappearing one by one.

Axel caught the blades expertly in his hands and turned them around to slip his fingers through the holes in the middle he used as a handle. Though his head pounded furiously at him a smirk took over his face as he saw another wave of his old kindred begin to advance on him. He chuckled slightly as he slashed forward through the ones that were still left from the first wave and looked back to make sure Natasha was safe. She was smart and stayed in a close proximity behind him, looking around as the creatures poured, not particularly dense, over the tops of buildings and walls. He ran backwards beside her and spoke.

"Start getting back to your house and if you see anyone tell them to get inside. They are only after me. Walk fast or they will think you're with me. I promise to follow."

She nodded and did as she was told, watching as Axel's weapons ignited and he attacked the silver beings with a vengeance worthy of, what she though, a god. Now she knew he was still hiding something from her. As she power walked back to her home, making sure to watch the scene as she did so, she told anyone who came out because of the racket to go back inside. If they needed further convincing she pointed to Axel who seemed to have everything under control. The people, especially men, would offer their help, but Axel didn't make it seem like any help these people could offer would actually help. It seemed odd to her that most didn't just run back inside in fear of the creatures, but they could also have thought they were dreaming like she so wished she was.

When she didn't get attacked the whole thing became easy. As long as she kept up her pace any of the creatures, even the ones ahead of her, would ignore her and go after Axel. They didn't seem like creatures who could discriminate between different people, so she wondered exactly why that was.

As Axel used his fire and Chakram to slice and burn his enemies he made sure that nothing was happening to his friend ahead of him, as well as made sure he was following in the right direction. The nobodies attacked him from different sides, but he was so familiar with them that he knew how it felt just before one would jump on him. Their bodies fell and disintegrated when, to him, it seemed like they were merely touched by his blade and fire. Yet, as it became easier and easier to defeat the enemies which came in lesser and lesser numbers he found that his headache became stronger again as he went. Slowly he could feel his eyes begin to burn, and as he slashed through three enemies in a circular motion he became dizzy and stumbled on his feet. When he opened his eyes his vision was blurry and the only reason he could discern his enemies was because of their contrasting color in the moonlight to the rest of their dark surroundings. He became annoyed and paused in the middle of the street after massacring a good number, telling Natasha to keep going, and crossed his arms in front of himself to conjure a good number of fireballs.

The familiar warmth of his body when he began this soothed his evil headache down to a tiny bump every not and then. The flames encircled his hands and engulfed his weapons. Anyone who would see this would think he were some sort of fire deity, even if it was just a smaller attack of his. When he finally ceased his concentration a flurry of fireballs escaped him and targeted the rest of the nobodies in the town, and at the same time he submitted to a large scale pain in his head that made him fall to his knees and scream in agony. Coincidentally Natasha ran up to him and said they were in front of her home. If he hadn't felt like his skull was being ripped he would have laughed at his wonderful timing. Had they really made it back that fast? No doubt her parents would wake up to the loud 'booms' of each of his fireballs, as well as the noises the nobodies made wherever they happened to touch the ground. He hadn't yelled to softly either.

He stayed there on his knees and clutched his head to a point he almost thought he would break it in two. The thought that he should crossed his mind; it would probably make the pain go away. Somewhere deep in his mind he could feel Natasha trying to pull his arms away from his head, but, in his pain and adrenaline, he was very much stronger than her. In his right mind he wanted to comply with her, since he knew that she was trying to help, but the sting of a thousand drills in his head kept him from seeing the light. She tried with no luck until she was taken away from him, and when her comfort was no longer present he felt himself slipping even deeper into the void the pain was creating for him, until two very strong hands ripped his own away from his head.

He looked up to see Natasha's father, his green eyes glassy with the pain. The screaming his throat so forcibly reminded him about had ceased, but his head still pounded, and each of his heart beats brought a new wave of pain for him to bear. As the pain began to subside with each beat tears that were held back by the mere magnificence of the pain before flowed out of his eyes and splashed on the stone ground. In the presence of this man, had his head been totally healed, he would have felt embarrassed to cry such tears, yet he knew there wasn't really reason enough to hold them back now.

Axel tried to stand up by pushing himself up on his knees, then using his hands to help himself the rest of the way, but as he gained height his body began to lean in different directions, and his vision blurred slightly. Natasha ran forward from where her father had made her stand by her mother and caught the red-head before he fell to the ground. He thanked her inwardly.

"Help him inside, Natasha. We've got some talking to do," her father said in a deep, very commanding voice that neither of them could refuse to obey.

Natasha made sure Axel had enough of his footing to make it inside without toppling over on her, and then took strides long enough for Axel, with his height, not to feel awkward. They made it into their little kitchen where Natasha's mother went over to grab a chair to sit the red-head at the kitchen table, still oblivious to Axel's affiliation with Natasha. Her father continued to watch him with an increasing awareness of his closeness to his daughter. From the way Natasha rubbed Axel's shoulder to comfort him made him realize just how well they knew each other.

When the red-head sat down and there was no more stress on any part of his body he slowly began to feel his mind return to its usual state. The comforting ministrations Natasha was performing on his shoulder only hastened his return to himself, and without realizing it his hand reached up to grip hers in thanks. As his mind finally returned to normal, he could feel the eyes of his benefactor's parents settled on him, one set worried and curious, while the other held a barely concealed sense of anger. As he realized it, he dropped his hand from where it gripped Natasha's, knowing it would not help the situation any longer. She ceased rubbing his shoulder as well, and, as if she suddenly realized the incriminating eyes of her father settled on him, she took a couple steps behind his chair.

In an attempt to call off the awkward silence that settled in the kitchen, Natasha's mother let herself lean over the table in front of Axel to put a hand over his head. When she withdrew her hand she asked him if he felt better, his answer to which was a mere nod of the head. She gave him a comforting smile that made him look at her face and realize the contours, though worn slightly with many years that were identical to Natasha. It soothed him further until her father, contrast to what he was used to hearing, spoke to him with an incriminating tone.

"What are you doing here?" came his heated voice.

The older woman looked back at him questioningly, wondering why her husband would treat someone so rudely when they had just gotten over a severe injury. Axel didn't answer, not so much afraid for him self, but rather for Natasha and her mother. Unnecessary violence was not something he wanted to start with such an imposing being. When he didn't answer, the older man directed his eyes towards his daughter.

"Or maybe you can explain why exactly this boy was worth hiding, Natasha?"

Axel could practically feel the girl's embarrassment and the heat that flooded her cheeks when they turned red. Her mother stood up and looked at her husband questioningly, but her eyes were not met; the father refused to tear his eyes away from the girl until he got his answer. Instead of waiting for her husband to get his answer, she walked around the table and stood in front of Natasha, her hands gripping the sides of her daughter's shoulders gently, and looked into her identical eyes.

"Is he what has been making you act so strangely for almost the entire week?" she asked as lowly as she could so as not to shy her away from answering.

Axel directed his eyes down to the table when her father's eyes settled on him again. He didn't dare try to help now. Her father watched him in such a way that made him feel like if he took one false move he would be chewed up and spit out. There was no doubt in his mind that Natasha would try to help and thus suffer the same fate. He couldn't do that to her. Natasha finally spoke, her low voice reminding him of a very tiny girl.

"Yes. I've been hiding him in my room for the past five, almost six days."

He could feel her mothers frame go rigid with sudden rage, inwardly he told Natasha that her choice of words was not the best.

"You, what?" came the voice of her mother, suddenly sounding as venomous as a snake.

The red-head could feel the severe look he was getting from his benefactor's father; it made him feel very much afraid of the pain he was capable of inflicting on him. The young woman suddenly realized the self-incriminating words she spoke, and with quick, stuttering words attempted to deviate her parent's minds from the nasty images they no doubt shared.

"No! No, I didn't mean anything like that! You see, I found him outside of the city-."

"Outside of the city, Natasha?" he mother interrupted her with a very loud yell. "You know you are not allowed outside of the city! How dare you even mention it?"

Natasha looked down at her feet, dejected as her mother spun away from her and back to her father.

"This is what you wouldn't tell me?" she asked her husband, who also directed his eyes to the floor. "That our daughter was secretly sleeping with a boy neither of us know?" She waited for an answer, her eyes cutting deep into his own.

"I didn't want to tell you because I didn't know it was that bad! I thought she was smarter than that!" She glared at him when he answered.

"She's more like y-!" Natasha cut her off before she could say anything she didn't mean.

"Mother! Forget that I went outside the city, and had a person sleep in my room! Both of you, just shut up and listen to me!" she almost shrilled.

Axel winced at the tone of her voice, never before realizing Natasha was capable of making a sound so horrible. He had to try and remind himself that this was not totally his fault, though it seemed like the way things were going would make him feel as if it were. The two elders regarded their daughter with angry and shocked faces, silenced by a power she suddenly held over them; it was as if neither of them would be able to open their mouths even if they wanted to. Natasha steadied herself and continued in as civil a tone she could muster.

"I found Axel outside of the city almost dead and breathing in sand because almost half his face was buried in the ground. He had his hood up so I picked him up by that at first and he was just barely conscious enough to walk enough to help me. I was able to carry him back before father was off of his break again, and I told anyone I passed along the way that I was taking him to the hospital and not to tell you I was because you didn't like me talking to strangers and foreigners. They said they wouldn't because they knew I was doing something kind.

"For these past few days all I was doing was taking care of him. I didn't want to tell you because of what you're doing right now. I also knew I would never see him again because of his looks, and the fact that he didn't have any money on him for hospital treatment anyway. We couldn't afford to pay that for him." In her mind she knew she just made up the last part to strengthen her argument. It was believable enough. "Besides, all he needed was bed rest and nourishment. He was just exhausted from the heat and whatever else he had been through. He's not a bad guy, he just looks different than what we're used to, and all you see is a teenage boy."

Axel chuckled inwardly at her compliment, and glanced at his Chakram. He guessed she was right. He used to be bad, but he really wasn't anymore. The two parents looked at each other, still unable to speak while something was passed between their gaze. Finally, Natasha's mother opened her mouth.

"You still should have told us. You thought way too deeply into this and didn't remember that we have feelings too. Though I would have been mad about you going outside the city, I also have a want to help people who are hurt. We have a comfortable couch, and a small guestroom, Natasha. There is a use for those besides the comfort of visiting relatives." She gave he daughter a weak smile then looked up at her husband, who wasn't going to be quite as forgiving. He spoke.

"However that may be, it doesn't change the fact that you lied to us a few times, and we cannot account for the time you spent together when we were gone. This Axel seems rather well considering the condition you claim he was in. People who are that close to death don't heal that fast. If you can give us a good explanation as to why he got better so quickly, your punishment might be lighter than I have in mind." He looked to his wife for her consent and she nodded to her daughter in agreement.

Natasha looked almost hopeless when Axel had enough mind to turn and look at her. For some reason she refused to look to him for help, and, though it was probably for his benefit, made him feel guilty.

"Well, for one," a sigh she emitted told him what she was going to tell them. He hoped to whatever higher power there was they wouldn't think he was crazy and brainwashed her. "Axel is from another world. No doubt he's from wherever those creatures outside are from. Maybe he healed faster because of the differences he has because he is not from here." She looked at her parents with a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.

Her mother directed her eyes towards the floor, a sudden sadness creeping into them Natasha couldn't figure out. Her father sighed and rubbed one of his temples before speaking.

"Go to your room Natasha. We'll deal with this later."

Before she could reject his request her mother reinforced what he said and she went upstairs, her countenance reflecting a sort of misery that struck Axel in the heart. When the door upstairs shut a long, uncomfortable silence passed between the three of them before Natasha's mother broke it again.

"Are you hungry, Axel? I can make up anything in the fridge you would like."

He looked over to them just as Natasha's father left to go sit in the living room. He didn't answer out of confusion in her sudden change in attitude. She seemed friendly and open to anything, rather than before when she was angry and sad at the same time. When he didn't answer for a while she spoke again.

"Oh, I'll just make us all a few sandwiches. Go sit in the living room with him until they're ready. I'll be out there in a minute."

Something in the sweetness of her voice made it so he couldn't refuse, no matter how foreboding the living room looked with the much older, much wiser, and much _stronger_ man inhabiting it. He rose from the chair in an unsure a fashion until prompted by the woman to go sit down in the living room again. Half way between the two he gulped in a good amount of air and held his breath before he sat down in the reclining chair and let it out. The man was situating a few cards into a formation he didn't remember seeing even when Luxord randomly played with his cards. He put the memory far back into his mind out of distaste. After no consistency was shown in what Natasha's father was doing Axel decided he was just doing something with his hands for the sake of keeping himself busy.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

He looked up from the cards to see the man's dark eyes watching him. Axel remembered that he hadn't said a single word in the man's presence, and barely made a gesture to show he was articulate. He cleared his throat of anything that would prohibit his speech, made his countenance and gaze show no fear, and spoke.

"Usually you can't get me to be quiet," he said simply.

From the look in the man's eyes he could tell that he would have smiled were he in a better mood and company. Somehow Axel didn't really mind that he didn't like him at this point; he had his reasons. Finally, the soothing presence Natasha's mother had on her husband settled the awkwardness in the room. She gave her husband a comforting smile, which he returned, as she set food in front of the two of them. She didn't have anything for herself.

"Well then, I suppose we should get down to business, boys." She smiled to the two of them.

Axel looked at her in confusion, then to her husband in the same manner. The later seemed to know what the former was talking about as he took a bite of the ham sandwich in front of him. Axel looked at the elder woman again.

"What do you mean?"

Natasha's mother looked at him, her deep, dark eyes revealing layers upon layers of affection for him; he almost felt as if he were her son. He shook the idea from his head, but it still made him feel relaxed and comfortable. In the back of his mind he supposed it was something a nurse or doctor developed over time to comfort their patients. She then looked to her husband for permission to continue.

"Well, if you will accept, we have a request for you, Axel," she said with an amiable smile.

Axel looked down at his lap as he tried to figure out exactly what they would need from him. He had expected them to kick him out immediately upon finding him, not ask him for a favor. His green eyes looked back up at her, showing the confusion he felt deep in his gut. She was still regarding him with a comforting smile that made him relax again.

"I guess the matter calls for a little background information." She sat laid back in the love seat and crossed her legs. "No doubt Natasha has told you about our family history with the magic that protects this town. Well, to make a long story short we want her to continue that line of mages now that we are settled and comfortable, but even now we still cannot afford to continue her training because it requires a large sum of money to be sent to our king, one that we could easily have paid back when my ancestors were in the top rankings of mage-hood." She looked to her husband to continue.

"You probably wonder what any of this has to do with you. Well, an old friend of the family, an old, wrinkled prophet, told us that the gift her family had with magic was very strong in Natasha. In fancy words she told us that we would never have the money to support a mage's pilgrimage until after Natasha had taken her own. She said that when she was around her mid-teenage years a boy a few years her senior would come from another world and we would have to ask him to take her after accepting him into the family. His answer was never told because fates have an annoying way of turning things around at will, but you two seem so close," He didn't seem happy about that. ", that I believe you would accept the job." His wife continued.

"Make sure it is of your own will that you choose to help. If it is not, then the two of you will bring about the death of this entire world." She giggled. "No pressure. It's not as hard as it sounds to make the choice; I just want you to be aware of the consequences."

Axel stared at the two adults in disbelief. Had all this really been decided for him already?

((A/N: Wow. How's that for the last thing I wrote? ; Anyway, now's the time to tell me how much you love or hate the story. Of course, if you hate it I doubt you're here anyway. The next part will be posted when I get it finished if I think it is worth it. I really hope you guys like this story. I love it a whole lot. Please review!

InTheDarkWithRiku: Thank you so much for the support!

Domini Orion: Thank you for the promise of the good arse kicking for anyone who says I suck!

xUMIXx: Now that you've mentioned it there's a likely chance, but it still depends on how I feel. If there is it won't be for a while.

ShadowShapeshifterAndHerCat: You're going to have to learn to deal with shorties, but I think after this chapter there will be less! wOOt! ))


	15. part 14

Flurry of Flames Second Chance: Part 14

After sitting there dumbfounded for a moment Axel finally sat back, a smirk coming over his face as he watched the two adults in front of him. The looks he was getting from both were entirely different, but held the same meaning. While Natasha's mother laid a gentle smile on him she was trying her best not to show how much the chance he would say yes to taking her daughter away scared her. Her father was very open with how much he despised Axel at the moment, but he was also afraid of having Natasha leave. It was odd how well he understood them; he never understood human feelings before when he was a nobody. It was almost like his new heart was telling him exactly what these expressions meant. Still, he was skeptical about what he had already heard.

The smirk on his face was whipped away when he took Natasha's father's look to heart. He wasn't the least bit happy about him taking his daughter away from here. No doubt he would be just fine if he said no; He was probably thinking, "Screw this world; that is my daughter and this red head doesn't look the least bit trustworthy with his bad boy smirks."

Axel cleared his throat, deciding that the sly tone he was going to use before wasn't the best way to address this. Instead he leaned forward a little bit, his elbows resting on his knees as he clasped his hands together, and looked the two adults in the eye.

"Are you serious about this?" He knew they were, but he still needed a moment to process his thoughts.

The elder male's eye twitched as he watched the red-head, dropping the cards he held as he leaned forward to him.

"Do you think I want her to leave?" Axel could just hear the silent 'with you' echoing at the end of his sentence. Father's were scary. He drew his red eyebrows together and sat back again, crossing his arms. He couldn't hold back his next comment.

"Your not the one that is deciding her future anymore, dad." He hated the way it sounded, but he meant it. There was no way he was going to run away with his tail between his legs just because of Natasha's father. If this was as important as it seemed the elder male needed to understand that he was no longer the one who held everything in his hand for Natasha. She was going to be his responsibility soon, if things went the way he thought they were.

Axel already had it in his head that he was going to take Natasha, but something deep down told him that he had to convince her parents that he was not just some kid. Even if he had to be a little rude about it, he was going to get his point across.

Finally the elder male sat back stubbornly, his wife placing a hand on his shoulder before she looked at him.

"We understand, Axel. She's our daughter, and we've been dreading this day even if we didn't actually believe it was going to come for a while. It's hard."

A lop-sided smile was directed at her as Axel again leaned forward. "I understand that, mom." The woman seemed to brighten somewhat. "But you also need to understand something."

Before he could continue Natasha's father fixed a glare on him and said in an angry tone, "What else is there to understand, boy? You're going to be leaving with our daughter and we probably aren't going to see her for years! Who knows what kind of trouble you are going to get her in?" Axel frowned, glaring right back at the man. No brownie points there.

"I'm trying to tell you what kind of trouble I'm going to get her in. And trust me; there will be a lot of it. Got it memorized?"

The elder man practically growled back at him as he stood up, making ready to leave the room. Natasha's mother stood and took a step in front of him. She was surprisingly quick about it.

"Sit down, honey! You're acting like a child. I won't take any more of this from either of you!"

She fixed her fiery violet eyes on Axel as well. "I understand that we are all adults here, and you are not going to abandon this cause. I don't want you angry at him when he leaves whether he has Natasha or not because that will just make things terrible."

The man glared at his wife as well, but it melted when he realized that was probably true. He sat back down with a sigh, his wife standing for a moment with her hands on her hips before sitting as well.

"Now," she said, "I know we all care about Natasha in one way or another, so I'm ready to hear what 'trouble' you are going to get her into." She sounded more than skeptical; it was almost like she was accusing him of exactly what the elder man was thinking; something that wasn't very innocent. He rolled his eyes.

"Listen, it has nothing to do with what you guys are thinking of. You have been living behind this wall for too long that you forget that the world is dangerous. This goes for the other worlds as well. There are even some places that have been destroyed because of all the dangerous creatures running around." He looked at the both of them as thoughts of what had happened earlier in with the silver skinned nobodies sunk in. "I don't know how those dusks, that's what those white monsters are called, got in here, but I'm the one that attracts them."

"Why?" asked Natasha's father in a low, dangerous voice.

"I'm not quite sure, but I've had dealings with them in the past. Whether I tell you are not it doesn't change the fact that they are there. I don't want to talk about it." After a moment Natasha's mother nodded for him to continue. "There's no doubt in my mind that they will follow me wherever I go. I bet that at some times there will be even larger numbers than what I just fought. Natasha will be subject to that." He smirked when he saw the connection drawn on the adults faces. "You say you want her to learn to use magic. Did you ever even know how that is done for normal humans? They have to fight and get stronger and smarter to be able to process how exactly to cast a spell. Natasha will have to fight, and kill, to learn how to use her 'gift' as you call it. Are you okay with all of this?" He didn't really care if they were at this point.

After a few moments Natasha's father nodded, and her mother spoke, "So you're going to take her?"

"I was planning on it the second you told me she had to go. I'd miss the girl if I just got up and left." Another lop-sided smile was directed her way. It was returned by a weak grin.

"Okay then. Kidnap her in a few hours. Go ahead and sleep some on the couch. We need to get back to bed." The woman grabbed her husband's hand and practically dragged him out of the living room. Before they got to the stairs that lead straight up to their door Natasha's father turned around, determination etched on his face. "You better take care of her," He said before marching past his wife and into their room.

The woman turned a sheepish smile on the red-head. "I'll come down and wake you up in a few hours. Don't worry about Natasha coming down and finding you. Whenever we tell her to go to her room she stays till late morning unless we come get her. Sleep well. You're going to need it." She started up the stairs again.

In all honesty, Axel hadn't expected the conversation to be over so quickly. He had expected questions for his answers about other worlds. He had expected answers to his questions about how to get there. When the elder woman was almost half way up the stairs he stood up.

"How exactly am I supposed to get us out of here? I didn't think anyone knew how to travel between planets besides a keyblade wielder." He was somewhat surprised when she didn't look confused.

"This world's transportation is special. Even if the ways between worlds are locked for some reason we hold the key. Few know about our abilities, but those that do guard the information so the greedy won't want to take over other places that wouldn't be able to fight back. I'd explain how all this came about, but I'm too tired. Basically anyone that has lived on this planet even a day can pass through the locked connections. I'll tell you where to go when I come down again." She was about to continue up stairs, but Axel stopped her again.

"What is this world called anyway?" She smiled tiredly back at him.

"Those who know about our location, and who know how to travel between worlds, call our world The Kingdom Keys." She smiled at his surprise. "In a nutshell, a new 'key' is added somewhere in this world each time Kingdom Hearts is opened. Only very few of the people who know about other worlds understand this, and only one living person understands why. Don't bother asking him. He's supposed to carry that secret to the grave, and he doesn't even live here anymore. Now, if you will excuse me I need to get to bed. Good night."

When she left Axel stood there for a moment, trying to figure out whether the answers she had given him were really all that important. Was there any reason these facts should interrupt his new adventure? They weren't exactly ground shaking when you thought about them. He decided he really didn't care, and would just focus on what he wanted to do. He wanted to take Natasha on her 'pilgrimage' and find Roxas. These things didn't matter.

He lay down on the couch as he was told to and dozed, thinking about where they might head next. He was woken up later by Natasha's mother when it was still dark. She told him to go to see a person named Rae in a workshop near the front of town. He would be up at this hour and the letter she gave him would explain their situation. Some currency was planted with him as well. Surprisingly, it was just normal old munny. That stuff really was universal.

"I also want you to give Natasha this letter." She handed him an old looking paper that was folded neatly. "Give it too her if she starts to seem down. And give her these for me too." She gave Axel a gentle hug and a kiss on the cheek, which made him blush out of embarrassment. He never received such a show of affection. "Only give her those when she starts to miss home. Let her think you really snuck her out until then. It will make her feel happy after she finally gets home sick." Another weak smile crossed her face before she started to walk off. There was a very evident quiver in her voice when she spoke next. "When you bring her back, know that you are welcome here any time." Axel was left standing there for a moment until he spoke to her one last time.

"I'll take care of her, mom." The woman only paused for a moment before walking into her room and shutting the door.

((A/N: That was somewhat of an awkward part to write, and Axel ended up being a little out of character. Do think too deeply about the whole Kingdom Keys thing. Basically I made it up to be a world created when Kingdom Hearts is opened. I have a hunch that whenever it is hearts are released and thus new people are somehow made. It is NOT important for the story. The only significance it has is that it is the reason why everyone in this world looks almost alike. If you remember they all have dark hair and eyes. I figured that souls are somewhat identical no matter whom the person is…but none of this is important to the story. Maybe you could say that I also just made it up as an excuse for why Axel and Natasha will be able to travel. Also, when I say Kingdom 'Keys' it's meant to be a type of pun; it means both keys as in what you unlock doors with and keys as in the 'Florida Keys'. Don't kill me because I'm weird.

Yay! I was convinced to write another part! I might not like this addition all that much, but now even more ideas for what's to come are pouring into my head since I have this speed bump out of the way. I still might stop if Natasha becomes too Mary Sue-ish, so please review and tell me if I'm doing okay!

AloneInDespair: Thank you for taking the time to review!

EJ Amber: I was hoping that I would not have to point this out to anyone because it is going to be explained in the future if I do continue writing. Whether or not that was meant to be a flame it still hits rather hard simply because you are questioning the way I go about things. First, I know Natasha is dangerously close to being a Mary Sue character. Remember that this was when I stopped and realized that I might be turning her into one. As far as adding relevant flaws one that you mentioned was already addressed somewhat in this chapter about her being homesick. In the scope of things, I haven't even scratched the surface of the story yet to get a chance to give her any flaws. Of course she is not going to come in with superior magic ability or anything and there will be times when she will end up showing quite a bit of weakness. About her being too popular, well, in my story she is going to be as good as any canon character. She will not, should not and better not outshine Axel or I will kick her butt! I love Axel. ;-; But face it, if Kingdom Hearts were solely about Riku and Sora with no Kairi and someone wrote her in there she would be labeled a Mary Sue, I believe. But Kairi is a cool character, and we all love her, so does that necessarily mean that the writer was wrong for adding her? You can say that it's not way it works because Kairi IS in Kingdom Hearts. Who's to say if Square and Disney decided to take the turn I did with Axel they wouldn't have a character like Natasha or even a boy since I'm not really trying to develop a romantic relationship, to help him along? Maybe I should have made a boy take care of him, but then I might be labeled sexist, or I would be asked for a yaoi fan fiction. ((I have nothing against it; it's just not my expertise for writing.)) I'll stop rambling about that now. I'm beginning to feel like I'm getting defensive.

Now the part I was really hoping I would not have to point out is that Axel is acting the way I think he would act in the presence of a friend after he has obtained a HEART. The only reason, I THINK, the creators of Kingdom Hearts CoM and II made Axel the way they did was because he did not have a heart. ((Do you remember waaay back in Part 3 where I said he was going to be out of character for a while? I didn't need you to remind me. I have things under control. :giggles: )) Sure, later on he will be back to the way he was before, but with a bit more human compassion than when he was a heartless nobody. ((Perhaps in the future I will attempt to write something about him when he was a nobody so I can show you I know what you mean.)) Here he has not yet been introduced to any sort of enemy and has not had to deal with someone trying to manipulate him. In the future he will and then you can see shines of the Axel we all know and love oh so dearly. Also, as far as him caring about himself more than anyone else, do you remember that speck of emotion he showed towards his only friend? Roxas I think his name was? He spent the entire game trying to manipulate those involved so he could see Roxas again. That makes me think he cares quite a bit for Roxas. Even if he cares for himself more, there's still that love he held for his best friend that made him feel like he had a heart. There is a method to my madness, love. Although I hated explaining myself, I think it would have been inevitable anyway. Thanks for the constructive criticism and the review! All authors, at least those that don't do it for money and fame, love to hear it! 'Tis why I posted this here in the first place, since my real life friends are too soft.

InTheDarkWithRiku:giggles: I didn't want to make a big deal about the prophet. Think of her as Yen Sid, which no one remembers after the first ten, or maybe even less, hours of Kingdom Hearts II. ;XD

xUMIXx: I guess you just found out, huh:giggles:

Milante:Looks helplessly at her chained hands: Oh dear… XD I hope the upcoming chapters, which I have yet to write, will be to your liking so I may get up from my computer to use the restroom. ))


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